Rotatable dispenser for cigarettes and like articles



Sept. 24, 1957 1 E. F. KELLERMAN 2,807,370

- ROTATABLE- DISPENSER FOR CIGARETTES AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed April 16, 1955 y W uv Z; 9 01/ 2 Z Eff. 2

3'? 4 MJ INVENTOR.

United States Patent ce 'ROTATABLE DISPENSER FOR CIGARETTES AND LIKE ARTICLES Ernest F. Kellerman, Kew Gardens, N. Y.

Application April 16, 1953, Serial No. 349,156

1 Claim. (Cl. 211--78) Thisinvention relates to a server device for cigarettes and like articles to be used on stands, dining tables and like supports.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide means facilitating presentation of various sorts of cigarettes to persons sitting around a dining table in a very efficient, orderly and rapid manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide means affording the employment of a Lazy Susan in connection with containers for holding cigarettes which may be coupled with a Lazy Susan or disengaged therefrom for use by a person sitting remote from the Lazy Susan device.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means serving the purpose of coupling a container with a Lazy Susan and for removal therefrom, whereby the coupling element forming part of the container may then be used as a holder for a match book and the like to be used in connection with cigarettes or like articles when placed in the container.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide means conducive to a simplified combination of a cigarette container, ash tray and match book holder with a Lazy Susan, whereby the Lazy Susan as well as the aforesaid container may be also used separately if so desired.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means facilitating the conversion of a relatively flat Lazy Susan to a container holding device, whereby the containers may be arranged around the periphery of the Lazy Susan for connection with the latter and for removal therefrom.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide means enabling the stacking of the containers when not in use and their easy handling for storage as well as for distributing on a Lazy Susan or similar support.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means facilitating the displacement of a holder or container relative to a Lazy Susan and other containers connected therewith, whereby the container or containers may be moved about hinged means relative to each other.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of means rendering the possibility of subdividing a rotatable platform into compartmental sections, which may form extensions of the platform and may be arranged for removal from the platform, whenever desired.

Before expanding in detail the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the in- 2,807,370 Patented Sept. 24, 195.7

is shown a LazySusan 10 having a substantially flat top plate 11. This top plate is provided with spaced apart openings 12 into which fitconically shaped ends 13 of a plurality of posts 14 which are interconnected by means of a wire-forming rail 15 passing through transverse openings 16 of the posts.

Thus it will be readily visualized that any Lazy Susan may be changed as to its upper surface by means of the aforesaid assembly 13-14 which may be attached to the surface 11 of the Lazy Susan in any convenient manner, such as by suction cups, screw bolts and the like. a

vA frame 20 including posts 13-14 with rail or ring member 15 may be round or polygonal, as shown, for a purpose about to be described.

Between two adjacent posts 14a, 14b there is connected by hinge 17 a container 18 having aslotted holder 19 adapted to engage rail or ring member 15, as more clearly seen in Fig. 2. Container 18 thus underlies rail 15 and is supported at the peripheral portion 11a of top plate 11 as may be readily visualized from Figs. 1 and 2. The container 18 may be made from ceramic material, synthetic resins, or compositions thereof, or any other suitable material for the purpose intended.

Container 18 has, in addition to the slotted end holder 19, a compartment 21 and a further compartment 22 separated by a partition 23. The compartment 21 is adapted to hold a package of or loose cigarettes, whereas compartment 22'may be employed for depositing ashes or cigarette ends While the cigarette may rest in a groove 24 of compartment 22. As soon as container is disengaged from rail or ring member 15 in a manner as indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2, in which the container is in half disengaged position with rail 15 and plate 11, the combination cigarettte receptacle and ash tray container 18 may then be used separately at a place remote from the Lazy Susan 10. To this end, the slotted end holder 19 may then be used to receive in slot 1% a match book 25, as more clearly seen in Fig. 3.

The match books 25 may be positioned within the confines of the rail 15 while the containers, when hingedly engaged with rail 15 to 17, may be turned together with the Lazy Susan" in a well known manner to reach a person selecting the desired brand of cigarette received in compartments 21. The containers 18 may be filled with various packages of cigarettes of different brands and as soon as one of the containers is removed from the Lazy Susan a new container supplying a further package of cigarettes may be readily hinged to the aforesaid assembly to serve another person.

From the aforesaid disclosure it will be readily seen that the server device made in accordance with the invention fulfills the dual purpose of serving a person with that brand or package of cigarettes that the respective smoker desires who is then enabled, for instance during a party, to Withdraw the container from the Lazy Susan for further use remote from the Lazy Susan.

The containers 18 may be stacked in a manner as indicated in Fig. 4 and such stack of containers may be supplied in addition to those with which the Lazy Sucan may be exhibited for sale. It is further to be noted that, for instance between posts 14b and 14c, a smaller container of the type described or of a ditferent slia'pe may be hinged or hooked onto the rail 15 in which, for, instance, only loose cigarettes are received for distribution toa person desiring his particular brand of cigarettes.

It is further to be noted that the device made in accordance with the invention may be employed not only for the dispensing and serving of cigarettes but also for other goods or delicacies in accordance with the taste of a person.

If it is desired to use the ,Laz'y Susan in a diiferent or conventional manner, this may be readily accomplished by removing posts 14 and rail 15 from the surface of top plate ,11 so that a conventional Lazy Susan may be obtained from the serving device embodying the present invention.

It is well understood that the posts 14 connected to the rail means 15 have different distances from each other.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been described and shown in the drawing, it should be noted that the invention may be realized in modified form and adaptations of the arrangements herein disclosed may be made, as may readily occur to persons skilled in the art without constituting a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the objects and in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

A rotatable holder device for receptacles comprising supporting means, an axle rotatably carrying said supporting means, a plurality of container means adapted to be engaged by said supporting means, each container means being provided witha slot and with compartments for holding a cigarette pack and for receiving ashes from cigarettes, respectively, said container means being attachable to said supporting means and removable therefrom, and means connected to" said supporting means for retaining each container means with the respective slot in position on said supporting means, said supporting means being in the form of a ring member, said retaining means forming a platforrn to which said ring member is secured, the slot of each container means being adapted to engage that ring member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 160,688 Brock Oct. 31, 1950 410,175 McAlister Sept. ,3, 1889 1,029,231 Ryan June 11, 1912 1,240,908 Weis et al Sept. 25, 1917 1,310,741 Cook July 22, 1919 1,728,512 Sharp Sept. 17, 1929 1,908,928 Stein May 16, 1933 2,071,290 Scriba Feb. 16, 1937 2,222,190 Wolf Nov. 19, 1940 2,669,362 Joy Feb. 16, 1954 

